Fish Pee May be a Natural Way to Help Coral Reefs and Coastal Ecosystems

There may be a natural way to help coastal ecosystems: fish pee. Scientists have discovered that the nutrients excreted by fish in their waste may be critical to the health of these ecosystems.

The researchers studied fish and invertebrate species in the Bahamas. More specifically, they looked at 900 individual fish or invertebrates in a diverse marine community.

"We examined everything from sea cucumbers to moray eels-102 species in all-and using these data were able to test what best predicts how animals recycle nitrogen and phosphorus," said Jake Allgeier, lead author of the new study, in a news release. "These findings can be applied to draw general conclusions across ecosystems. But we also need to acknowledge that certain species can have unique effects on these ecological processes."

The researchers found that body size and taxonomic identity are the most important factors to predict that amount of nutrients that fish recycle to the environment. Body size, in particular, is important since the bigger the fish is, the more the fish excretes. Taxonomy is important since different species of fish eat different food items and have different body structures.

The findings carry significance for coastal management initiatives, especially in areas that are being impacted by environmental degradation and changing weather patterns.

"Coral restoration is becoming a widespread management practice and fish-based nutrient supply has been shown to be important for coral health-and thus the success of restoration efforts," said Craig Layman, one of the researchers.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).